The Samsung Galaxy A8+ can be seen as a pocket-friendly alternative for the flagship Galaxy S8 for Rs 32,999.

Keeping aside the hardware features, the Galaxy A8+ offers most of the software goodies present in the flagship S8, S8+ or the Note 8.
(Image: Debashis Sarkar/News18.com)

Samsung Mobile India has kick-started 2018 with the launch of the Galaxy A8+ in India. The Samsung Galaxy A8+ aims to compete with the likes of OnePlus 5T, LG G6, Honor 8 Pro and others. In order to differentiate, the Galaxy A8+ has borrowed features like the 'infinity display', Samsung Pay, IP 68 water and dust resistance from the flagship Galaxy S8 while adding a dual-lens selfie camera on the front.

The Samsung Galaxy A8+ costs Rs 32,999 and will be exclusively available on Amazon.in starting January 20. The device comes with standard accessories like a Type-C cable for charging and data transfer needs, a charging adapter and a pair of in-ear earphones out-of-the-box.

The Samsung Galaxy A8+ is a well-built glass and metal smartphone. It feels solid in the hands but it is a bit heavy at 190 grams. The 18:5:9 aspect ratio display ensures that the 6-inch smartphone easily fits in the hands. The Galaxy A8+ offers a fresh design and Samsung seems to have finally done away with its traditional ‘Galaxy looks’.

The front of the device is mostly occupied by the crisp display and on the top there is a dual-lens selfie camera setup. The back of the device has smooth glass finish which makes the device a bit slippery. The 16MP rear camera module is nicely integrated in the glass back with the fingerprint scanner just under the lens. The fingerprint scanner is comfortably within the reach unlike the one we had seen in the Galaxy S8+ or Note 8.

The front of the Samsung Galaxy A8+ (Image: Debashis Sarkar/News18.com)

What to look out for?

Samsung has positioned the Galaxy A8+ as a complete powerhouse for people looking for a smartphone with good camera and performance in the mid-range segment. It’s a dual-SIM smartphone with dedicated slots and supports 4G VoLTE.

The display quality is superior to its competitors. As far as performance is concerned, the octa-core Exynos 7885 processor with 6GB of RAM promises a lot. One of the USPs of the phone is the dual-lens selfie camera which offers bokeh effect in selfies. The rear camera also appears promising, especially in low-lighting conditions. The device gets Samsung Pay with NFC. This means you can use your phone to make transactions on regular POS card swiping machines.

The rear of the Samsung Galaxy A8+ (Image: Debashis Sarkar/News18.com)

First impressions

There are very few good buying options in the price range of Rs 30,000 and Rs 35,000. The entry of the Galaxy A8+ somewhat fills the vacuum if you are not keen on buying the OnePlus 5T or Honor 8 Pro or View 10. The Samsung Galaxy A8+ can be seen as a pocket-friendly alternative for the flagship Galaxy S8.

Keeping aside the hardware features, the Galaxy A8+ offers most of the software goodies present in the flagship S8, S8+ or the Note 8. It is a complete package out-of-the-box and the availability of Samsung Pay make it’s a better deal. On the downside, the device still runs older Android 7.1 Nougat OS and there is no word from Samsung as to when it will get the latest OS update.